Vanuatu MPs select Greens' leader as new prime minister

Vanuatu has a new prime minister with the Greens' leader, Moana Carcasses Kalosil, elected this afternoon after two days of wrangling in court with the outgoing government trying to stop Parliament meeting before next Friday.

It comes after the resignation of Sato Kilman on Thursday, just minutes before the Opposition was to bring a vote of no confidence in him.

It would have been the second such vote since his re-election late last year and seventh since becoming prime minister in 2010.

After the resignation the Speaker adjourned Parliament for eight days but the Opposition believed a new leader should be chosen immediately and it successfully pleaded this case at the Supreme Court.

MPs were order back to Parliament this morning to hold a vote and Mr Carcasses was chosen by 34 of the 52 MPs.